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Misspoken about Service; First Primary Results Coming in; How Far Angry Voters Will Go; Police Sued over Girl's Death; Women Earning More than Husbands; Size Matters during Hailstorm

Aired May 18, 2010 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Happening now: The first polls are closing as critical midterm primaries turn this into a Super Tuesday. Very shortly, we will learn just how far voters may be going in directing their anger at the political establishment.

Stunning new images show ribbons of thick oil reaching shore in a nature area and oil flowing from a well deep below the surface, as emotions run high on Capitol Hill.

And after a quarter-century, it's likely the final mission of the space shuttle Atlantis. Astronauts and cosmonauts are joining us from space this hour.

I'm Wolf Blitzer. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

But, first, the breaking news out of New York City.

More than two weeks after his arrest, Times Square bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad has now appeared in a federal court.

Let's go straight to our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti. She's outside that courthouse right now.

Susan, you were inside when he was -- when he was before the judge. Walk us through what happened.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I sure will. It was our first chance to get a look at this man, Faisal Shahzad, about 30 years old.

He came walking into the courtroom actually with a pleasant look on his face, smiled at the woman who was appointed to be his attorney as he sat down in a chair next to her at the defense table before the proceeding began.

He was dressed in a light gray sweat suit. His handcuffs had been removed before he walked into the courtroom. He sat down, security extremely tight. All the seats were filled, and it was standing room only along the walls of the courtroom.

That's when the proceeding began. Remember, at this point, he has been charged only in a criminal complaint. That is the first stage of the proceedings here. And there are five counts against him. Now, those five counts include the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison, as well as another count, to kill or to maim.

That's another maximum sentence of life in prison, and some other charges that are five years, 10 years, and 20 years as well. When the proceeding finally began, the judge read the charges to Mr. Shahzad. He was asked if he had any money to pay for a lawyer. It was obvious he did not, and so a lawyer was appointed on his behalf.

It is a woman by the name of Julia Gatto. She's with the Federal Public Defender's Office. Now, it's important to keep in mind, it's very interesting how long it took to see him for the first time in court this day. Remember, he was arrested around 11:00 in the evening on May the 3rd, you might recall, he was allegedly attempting to escape.

He was on his way to JFK Airport to board a flight for Dubai and then on to Pakistan. And that's when law enforcement agents caught up with him at the very last second and got him off the plane. From that point forward, when he met with investigators, we are told from prosecutors and the FBI that he has continued to cooperate and answer all of their questions, even though he had been read his rights and was told, according to authorities, that he had the right to an attorney.

Yet, prosecutors say, he continued to talk day after day after day, very unusual in a case like this to have something like that go on so long. In fact, some lawyers have questioned whether he should have been appointed an attorney and had his presence in court -- his appearance in court prior to now.

But, in any case, as I understand it, according to a federal law enforcement official, today, during the day, he told the authorities that he wanted to have a lawyer present, and that's what stopped the questioning.

Wolf, up until now, the lead prosecutor of this case, the U.S. attorney here in this area, has said that they have read him his rights each and every day, and the moment that he either asked for an attorney or he stopped giving them information that was useful to further the investigation, that would be the end of it.

Well, we know now that apparently he asked to have a lawyer present. So, the next step in this proceeding would probably be for a grand jury to meet and/or a preliminary hearing, and that has been scheduled for June the 1st.

If I might add, before court was recessed, his defense attorney stood up and asked the court for one thing. She asked that he have halal meals available to him. That are -- that is meals that are approved under Islamic law -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Do we know where he's going to be spending the next several nights, Susan? CANDIOTTI: We don't know for sure. It certainly wasn't announced in court, but he is being held without bail. That was not challenged, but there could be a detention hearing scheduled some time after that. His lawyer did not request one at this time.

It is likely that he would be held at the federal detention center, but because of the circumstances, we don't know exactly where he's being held at this time. There's been tight security throughout, and unlikely that he was kept in that federal detention center up until now, according to sources.

BLITZER: All right, Susan, thanks very much.

Fran Townsend is joining us now, our national security contributor, the former homeland security adviser to President Bush. She also served in the Justice Department during the Clinton administration.

It sounds -- based on this press release, that the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York released saying that he has been providing -- quote -- "valuable intelligence, it sounds like this is a case that sort of cries out for a plea bargain, some sort of guilty plea in exchange for a reduced sentence, but you -- correct me if I'm wrong, Fran.

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: No, that's right, Wolf. I mean, given that he spent two weeks talking to authorities, one would suspect that he's cooperating and will likely plead.

But, Wolf, this is just -- the complaint is really the first legal instrument that we see publicly. It's likely to be superseded with an indictment that will bring additional charges.

You know, there have been reports, and we have confirmed from our own sources, Wolf, that this -- Times Square was not his only plan. There were other targets, like the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, like Rockefeller Center and others, and that he had done some surveillance, some Internet research on those targets, that he was planning other attacks.

If they can prove those up, they're likely to be added in an indictment. Furthermore, we -- we also understand from sources here in Washington, Wolf, that there have been connections distinctly drawn with the Pakistan Taliban.

And, in fact, while, originally, John Brennan, the homeland security adviser, and Mike Morell, the deputy at CIA, were going to go to Pakistan to carry a message to the Pakistan government urging their cooperation, President Obama was so concerned by what he was hearing about the connection with the Pakistan Taliban, he directed Director Panetta of the CIA and National Security Adviser Jim Jones, more senior officials, to carry a stronger message to Pakistani officials, urging their cooperation in understanding exactly the connections and the threat. BLITZER: So, they're in Pakistan, apparently, either on their way or in Pakistan already delivering that message from the president of the United States, Jim Jones...

TOWNSEND: That's right.

BLITZER: ... the president's national security adviser, and Leon Panetta, the CIA director.

Fran, thanks very much.

TOWNSEND: You're welcome.

BLITZER: We also are getting in right now some shocking images showing pools of oil reaching the Gulf Coast. For the first time, ribbons of thick, dark oil are hitting a wildlife management area in Louisiana.

The picture was taken during a flyover today by the governor, Bobby Jindal. We're also getting new images of what's happening under the surface, where millions of gallons have already spilled.

Take a look at this, video taken by BP on May 8 as oil gushes freely from the well, then video from yesterday, after an insertion tube began siphoning off at least part of the flow, but oil, I must say, is still gushing out. That video and more were released during one of three separate hearings on Capitol Hill today, as Congress tries to figure out what went wrong.

Our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar's been tracking all of the action for is. She's standing by live with more -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, under scrutiny today here on the Hill, how the Obama administration responded to this disaster -- this disaster, not just the aftermath, but the events leading up to it, we were hearing this from Republicans, but also from Democrats, for instance, Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, who had some pretty tough questions for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

He wanted to know basically how the Minerals Management Service, which falls under the Interior Department, was policing offshore drilling in the Gulf in general and on this rig in particular. And really at question was a requirement for an oil company to submit an environmental review, a very in-depth environmental impact report.

This was a requirement that was waived for this project, as well as a number of others because there's also a law that says the federal government has to either approve or disapprove an oil permit, a drilling permit, within 30 days. And that seems to be very difficult.

Listen to this exchange between Wyden and Salazar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. RON WYDEN (D), OREGON: Minerals Management didn't require an assessment of environmental consequences of an accident when it approved BP's drilling permit or its lease. And it didn't require BP to have an emergency plan for an oil spill if it lost control of the well. Minerals Management basically just accepted the assurances of industry here.

KEN SALAZAR, U.S. INTERIOR SECRETARY: Senator Wyden, with all due respect, there are huge efforts that the Minerals Management Services took on with respect to the environmental reviews concerning this particular lease., this lease sale, this area.

In addition to that, the conclusion that this is an unregulated industry is -- is not correct. It is a very highly regulated industry.

WYDEN: ... Secretary, the regulations, but they aren't adequate, and my sense is that they aren't being enforced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, Salazar said that federal regulators bear some of the responsibility here, but, Wolf, he said this is a collective responsibility that extends to BP, Transocean, the other companies involved in this spill. And he also said Congress bears some of the responsibility as it looks at how really it puts laws in place for how the federal government regulates these rigs and this drilling.

BLITZER: Finger-pointing all over the place, Brianna. Thanks very much. Brianna -- Brianna's up on Capitol Hill.

Jack Cafferty's coming up in a couple moments with "The Cafferty File."

We're also just getting word of a scathing intelligence report regarding failures in that Christmas Day bomb plot. Stand by for that.

And a slip of the tongue or an outright lie -- a Senate candidate is confronted about his military record.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's check in with Jack for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: "You aren't too smart, are you? I like that in a man." That was one of the greatest movie lines of all time, Kathleen Turner talking to William Hurt in the movie "Body Heat" -- 30 years later, it may resonate with a growing number of marriages.

That's because, compared to men, women are advancing more when it comes to education and their careers. And this translates into more women marrying men who are less educated and earning less money than they do. A recent Pew study shows 22 percent of married women now make more than their husbands in 2007. And that number is up from only 4 percent in 1970. When it comes to education, women make up about 60 percent of students with advanced degrees in fields of medicine, law, and business, as well as other graduate programs.

The recession has also hit men harder. Men have lost about five million jobs, compared to two million jobs lost by women. So, how does this change in the traditional gender roles affect marriages? In some cases, experts say, there's still a stigma on men who make less money and that professional women don't want to -- quote -- "marry down," like my wives did.

But others insists it works for them. One executive at a Wall Street firm says she finds her husband's career as a dog walker refreshing. Others say couples can have a healthy marriage as long as both spouses share similar goals and values.

So, here's the question. What does it say when many women are better educated and make more money than their husbands? Go to CNN.com/caffertyfile. Post a comment on my blog.

BLITZER: Get ready, Jack.

Let's go right to Jeanne Meserve. She's working a story.

Jeanne, what are you learning?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a report from the Senate Intelligence Committee about events leading up to that attempted takedown of an airliner on Christmas Day -- the committee lays out 14 problem areas and selected solutions and has some pretty harsh language.

Let me read you a bit of it. It says, there were systemic failures across the intelligence community. Specifically, it points to the National Counterterrorism Center, which it says was not organized adequately to fulfill its missions, even stronger statements in an addendum to the report from Senators Chambliss and Burr. They say some of the systemic errors this review identified were also cited as failures prior to 9/11.

They, too, focus their attention on the NCTC, saying that it did not understand its statutory mission. It says NCTC was created to be the central knowledge bank for all terrorism-related information. However, NCTC failed to organize itself in a manner consistent with Congress' intent or in a manner that would clearly identify its roles and responsibilities necessary for completion of its mission, also, discussion here about the technological challenges which we know came to be very apparent in this instance, where the various intelligence agencies were not able to piece together the various threads that they had relating to the alleged Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much. We're watching these stories very, very closely. A quarter-century after its first launch, the space shuttle Atlantis is now on its last scheduled mission. In fact, there are only two more flights planned for the shuttle fleet before the entire program ends. Four days into this mission, Atlantis has now docked at the International Space Station, where the crew has delivered and installed a Russian research module.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now, six astronauts.

Kenneth Ham, he's the space shuttle Atlantis commander, Piers Sellers, the space shuttle Atlantis mission specialist, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Expedition 23 space station flight engineer. Also joining us, specialist Garrett Reisman. He's doing the space walks. Oleg Kotov, Expedition 23 commander, he's one of the Russian cosmonauts. And Alexander Skvortsov, Expedition 23 flight engineer, one of the Russian cosmonauts.

Thanks to all of you for joining us.

Ken and Piers, let me start with you. What's it like up there right now?

KENNETH HAM, SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COMMANDER: Wolf, it's absolutely fantastic. The place is much bigger than last time I was here, which was only two years ago.

I'm not sure why it feels so much bigger. Maybe it's the node and the cupola alone. The cupola is this large glass dome we have that looks down on the Earth. And being inside of there and seeing the entire horizon of the Earth all at once just makes this entire place feel bigger. And it's absolutely fantastic. We're having a ball.

BLITZER: Piers, now that you're up there, this is the last shuttle, supposedly.

(CROSSTALK)

PIERS SELLERS, MISSION SPECIALIST: The place was about one-third the size. And I got to tell you now, you can lose people in this place now. It's really huge. So, if you came on up here, people probably wouldn't notice for a week.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about how it feels, and I will have Tracy weigh in, to be on this last shuttle.

TRACY CALDWELL DYSON, SPACE STATION FLIGHT ENGINEER: Well, actually, Wolf, I came up on a Soyuz. And I have been living on the space station for about five weeks before these guys got here.

But I can tell you, from the perspective of living here and seeing Atlantis and being inside of Atlantis as a station crew member, it -- it's bittersweet, and it's also something that is -- I never anticipated being able to see each one of the shuttles before their retirement on board my tenure here on the space station.

BLITZER: Just want to be precise. This is the last Atlantis shuttle mission as we go forward.

I also want to bring in Garrett Reisman.

You actually do the space walks. How scared are you when you get out -- out of that shuttle, out of that space station, and actually go outside?

GARRETT REISMAN, MISSION SPECIALIST: I'm terrified, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

REISMAN: Actually, the thing is, I'm one of three spacewalkers. The other two fellows are preparing to go outside tomorrow, so they can't be with us now.

But it is something that we train really hard for. And the way I describe it is a strange combination of the familiar and the outlandish. And what I mean by that is, we train so much in this big pool in Houston that, when we're at our work site and we have our tools and we're looking at the bolts we're supposed to turn, it feels just like being in that pool, and we feel very comfortable, very familiar.

But then you look over your shoulder, and the whole world is flying by, and you can see the entire East Coast of the United States in a single glance, and that is something you can't prepare for in a pool. And that is outlandish, and it is unbelievable.

BLITZER: I want to bring the two Russian cosmonauts into this conversation.

Oleg, first to you.

When you look out, are you able to see this oil spill that's engulfing some of the Gulf of Mexico right now? We have spent a lot of time reporting on that. And are you also able to see any of the volcanic ash from the volcano in Iceland that's disrupting air traffic in Europe?

OLEG KOTOV, EXPEDITION 23 COMMANDER: First of all, about the oil, I'm just -- 30 minutes ago, we passed over the Mexican Gulf, and we took a lot of pictures of this oil spot on our -- and believe me, it looks -- it's very scared. That's not good.

And I really feel not good about that. And so that's -- about the ash, yes, we can see ash above Europe, especially in the evening hours, when there's a low angle of sun, and we see that the atmosphere is not clear as usual in this time of year.

So, we cannot see the volcano itself, myself. Many ecological problems, we can observe and monitor from the space station, for example, fires, some flooding, and some poisoning of our nature. So, it's very useful from this perspective.

BLITZER: And, Alexander, very quickly, when you see this cooperation with the Americans, you must be pretty pleased by this.

ALEXANDER SKVORTSOV, EXPEDITION 23 FLIGHT ENGINEER: I am glad to work with American cosmonauts and -- astronauts. And I'm glad to work crew, shuttle's crew. And I know I know very good Ken Ham, and I'm proud to work with him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about the rest of us?

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Well, we want to wish all of you a successful mission. We will stay in close touch. We're very proud of all of you. Thanks very much for joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Wolf. Bye-bye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: All right. We're standing by for the first results from today's high-stakes closely watched primaries. Our own John King is standing by over at the magic wall.

And this: a convicted assassin set free. Was it part of a secret prisoner exchange?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BLITZER: The front-runner in a Senate race stumbles after claims about his military record are called into question. Can Richard Blumenthal recover?

Also, we will look at the last moments of a 7-year-old girl shot dead by a police bullet during a raid.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The front-runner for a U.S. Senate seat is in some trouble right now over the back pages of his biography. In Connecticut, Democrat Richard Blumenthal acknowledged that he had not accurately described his Vietnam era military service.

Let's go live to our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff. He is working the story for us.

Allan, what happened?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Richard Blumenthal argues he made an honest mistake several times by saying that he served in the Vietnam -- in Vietnam, instead of during the Vietnam War.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Was it a slip of the tongue or an outright lie when Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's likely Democratic candidate for Senate, told veterans two years ago he had served in Vietnam?

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have learned something very important since the days that I served in Vietnam.

CANDIOTTI: That statement was the basis for a "New York Times" report today saying Blumenthal, Connecticut's longtime attorney general, had distorted his military background.

Blumenthal claimed it was human error.

BLUMENTHAL: On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service. And I regret that. And I take full responsibility.

CHERNOFF: Responsibility for holding on to the Democratic seat being vacated by Christopher Dodd rests on Blumenthal's shoulders. The popular attorney general has been considered a shoo-in, but he's facing an aggressive opponent in Republican Linda McMahon, whose campaign says it provided "The New York Times" with video of Blumenthal's misstatement and posted it on YouTube.

Blumenthal served six years in the Marine Corps Reserves, state side, enlisting in 1970 when he worked in the Nixon White House after receiving five draft deferments. The state attorney general considered by many to be squeaky clean claims he didn't even realize he had mischaracterized his background.

BLUMENTHAL: Absolutely unintentional. A few misplaced words. "In" instead of "during." Totally unintentional. I was unaware of those misplaced words when they were spoken.

CHERNOFF: Political analysts say the Democrat has suffered a setback, but not a fatal one.

HOWARD REITER, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT: There's significant damage, but probably not overwhelming. Probably not enough to prevent him from winning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: The candidate who may benefit is Republican Rob Simmons, who's been trailing in the polls. He actually did serve in the Vietnam War -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Allan Chernoff, in Connecticut for us, thanks.

We're also watching some high-stakes primary races in Pennsylvania and Arkansas. Litmus tests of anti-incumbent fever.

In Kentucky as well, a test of tea party power. Polls have just closed there, at least in parts of Kentucky. Let's check in with CNN's John King. He's the host of "JOHN KING, USA" that comes up right at the top of the hour.

John, you're over at the magic wall for us. Walk us through some of the stuff we're about to see.

JOHN KING, HOST, "JOHN KING, USA": And, Wolf, the big question in the midterm election is who is energized, who is intense, who wants to turn out. It's a big question from now until November and it's a huge question in these big states right now.

Let's start in Pennsylvania and I'll show you this. The brighter the area of Pennsylvania, the more union households. Those are critical to Arlen Specter. He has union support. So can he turn out the union voters?

Here in the east, can he get the union voters out here in the Pittsburgh and up to Erie, Pennsylvania to turn out.

I just talked to some labor sources out there. They were discouraged. They say at the moment they think turnout is down a little bit. The union vote in Pennsylvania critical to Senator Specter's seat fight.

Here's another one we're looking at, Wolf. These are African- American households, and if you noticed, the brighter the area, the more African-Americans. Most of the African-American vote in Pennsylvania is right down here in Philadelphia.

Again, this turnout critical to Senator Specter. The mayor is on his side. Other Democratic leaders in the African-American community -- I talked to someone just a little while ago who says turnout is modest, not great, not as high as they would like.

They will try to gin that up in the final hours of the voting in Pennsylvania. That is critical.

One more quick point there, the battle outside of the city is right down here in the Philadelphia suburbs. Both Senator Specter and Joe Sestak run well there. The Sestak campaign believes it is getting the turnout it needs in those outer county suburbs outside of Philadelphia to help them.

We'll track that.

Where else are we watching tonight, Wolf? Let's watch some other demographics as we go. We'll go down to the state of Kentucky. You just mentioned that. A key Tea Party test.

Can Rand Paul ride the Tea Party momentum and take away the nomination from the establishment Republican candidate?

Here's where you'll see Rand Paul tonight, down in balling green. These are population centers -- Louisville, Lexington, Kentucky. See the bright yellow? The brighter the color, the more -- the higher percentage of evangelical voters. A big question in Kentucky and throughout this year's campaign, the Republican base.

They spirited in 2006. They spirited again in 2008. Does it come out in a reenergized way and align itself with the Tea Party candidate, an outsider like Rand Paul?

This is the area we'll watch tonight in Kentucky as the results come in to see if not only in this state but perhaps a message across the country is that Republican base reenergized?

One last point, let's go down to the state of Arkansas. As we do so we'll come in on the wall like this and we'll pull out the state of Arkansas. What do the colors mean here? The brighter the color, the higher the percentage of African-American voters.

They are the critical Democratic constituency. Which way will they go in this election? You see Little Rock, Hot Springs down to the south. We need to watch that.

One other footnote, Wolf, before she was in the Senate, incumbent Blanche Lincoln who's in trouble tonight, was in the House. This is roughly where her House district was in northeast Arkansas. In a tough Senate primary years ago that's how she won.

Turnout in her old House district was way up compared to the rest of the state. When the results come in tonight, we will watch that to see if her old constituency in the House district can help Senator Lincoln fight off a stiff primary challenger -- Wolf?

BLITZER: John, thank you. We'll see if Blanche Lincoln and Arlen Specter can survive these elections. We'll know in the next hour or two or three. John is going to be with us. Our election coverage is only just beginning. We're standing by for more results.

Our senior political analyst, Gloria Borger, is with us as well.

And would you change a lightbulb 63 stories in the air? We'll meet a man who's been doing it for 19 years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Take a look at this. We're just getting these sketches in of Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the Times Square bombing incident. There he is right there, appearing before a federal judge. Just a little while ago at a U.S. courthouse here in New York City.

He's got the beard. He's -- he didn't have to enter a plea, but he's been accused of five felony counts including intent to use a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a life sentence.

We'll continue to watch this story for you but let's check with Lisa. She's monitoring some of the other top stories into THE SITUATION ROOM right now.

What do you have, Lisa?

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, an accused Somali pirate pleaded guilty to six felony charges in New York. He's the only survivor among a group of pirates who hijacked the Maersk Alabama last year. The others were killed in a rescue raid by Navy SEALs. Sentencing is scheduled for October and he faces a minimum of 27 years.

The brother of former President George H. W. Bush collapsed during a contentious shareholders meeting today in Indianapolis and was hospitalized. Witnesses say William Bush moaned and fell over, but he remained alert. Bush sits on the board of directors of the health insurance company WellPoint.

And the Rolling Stones have been together almost 30 years when this man started his job. Look at him there. Since 1991, Chuck Kalert has ascended the Gateway Arch in the St. Louis once a year to replace the lightbulb inside the aircraft warning beacon.

This -- just put this in perspective. This is 63 stories above the Mississippi River -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Good for him. Let's not forget, Mick Jagger is going to be Larry King's guest later tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

So how far will voters go in taking out their anger on the political establishment? That's the key question in this midterm election year. The first returns, they are about to start coming into THE SITUATION ROOM. Kentucky, a lot of the precincts there, have now closed. The rest will close by the top of the hour.

Our senior political analyst, Gloria Borger, is here watching all of this with us.

How angry are these voters right now based on all the indications we're getting?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, they're very angry, and those are the voters who actually turn out to vote in these primary elections. They're voters who are very motivated and they're motivated by the fact that they believe things are not going well in this country right now.

On the one hand, Wolf, it's the extremes. On the left. And it's the extremes on the right, but it's also centrist voters who take a look at Washington. They think that things aren't getting done. They don't think that the economy is being fixed. They don't think Washington is helping their anxiety. All they see is bickering and they don't like what's going on.

BLITZER: And the Tea Party Movement, we're going to get an indication --

BORGER: Sure.

BLITZER: -- of how powerful it really is. BORGER: Yes, we are, in Kentucky, because you have Rand Paul, the son of Ron Paul, an ophthalmologist, who is actually the candidate made for these times. He's an outsider, not a politician, has a famous name but the son of somebody who has always run as an outsider.

And he has managed to be seen an extension of the Tea Party Movement to capitalize on this anti-incumbent, really anti- establishment sense. He's running against somebody who is not a part of that establishment, but he's been endorsed by everybody in the establishment from Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to former vice president, Dick Cheney. So he succeeded in tying him to the establishment.

BLITZER: We'll know fairly soon if Rand Paul is going to be the Republican nominee --

BORGER: We will.

BLITZER: -- for the Senate. Gloria is not going to be going away. She's with us throughout the night.

Police are being sued after a young girl is killed by one of their bullets during a raid. We're digging into the case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Two lawsuits have now been filed over the death of a 7- year-old girl allegedly killed by a police bullet during a raid on her home.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is in Detroit for us.

Deb, what do we know about this case?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we can tell you that a number of people have been stopping by leaving balloons and stuffed animals. The family heartbroken by the death of this child and they spent part of the day making funeral arrangements.

Meantime, a new tape has surfaced which suggests that the story police originally told may not be what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): Seven-year-old Aiyana Jones spent her last night alive watching TV on the couch with her grandmother. They woke to a blinding light. An explosion. And the sound of a single gunshot that killed the child.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Blood coming out of her mouth. Lord Jesus, I never seen anything like that in my life.

FEYERICK: Police initially said the fatal shot was fired inside the home. An accidental shooting after the grandmother struggled with police. The family's high-profile lawyer says it's a lie, that he's seen video taken by a cameraman who was there, and that it will prove police tried to cover up what really happened.

(On camera): What is it that you see? What is it that you witnessed that removes any doubt that the shot came from outside the house?

GEOFFREY FIEGER, FAMILY LAWYER: Two things. He witnessed the gun being fired. The explosive, the muzzle shot, and you hear the shot and you witness both of those. The muzzle flash and the shot from the gun immediately after the explosive incendiary grenade is thrown through the plate glass window. And both of them come from the porch.

FEYERICK: Police came here looking for a murder suspect they believe lived inside this two-family home. Sometimes between midnight and 1:00 a.m. a team of elite officers came armed with a no-knock warrant intending to break down the door if they had to.

Well, one of the officers threw a flash-bang grenade into the home designed to startle and disorient those people inside. The family lawyer says that's when the shot was fired.

FIEGER: What really a tragedy is to see that little girl being carried out with one hand like a rag doll. They got her out of that house so fast there could never have been a confrontation with the grandmother because there's the grenade that goes in, the shot.

They walk in the front door and they grab the girl and bring her out within seconds. There's no confrontation whatsoever.

DEPUTY CHIEF JOHN ROACH, DETROIT POLICE: This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude to Aiyana's parents, her family and all those who loved her and, quite frankly, to the city of Detroit.

Again, our deepest and most heartfelt condolences go out for the family.

CHARLES JONES, FATHER: She was my pride and my joy. That's what made me happy, and I will never be the same man again. Not without my daughter.

FEYERICK (voice-over): The family lawyer cannot confirm whether the video was taken by a reality TV series cameraman or by a member of the Detroit Police Department. He could not produce a copy. But it seems the police unit working a drug-ridden neighborhood may have gone to the wrong door.

KEVIN JACKSON, WITNESS: Policemen came to the wrong door. Literally to the wrong door. And they should have went to the left when they went to the right.

MARK ROBINSON, WITNESS: And two of them stepping on me. And I was -- running next to the house because I could see that they was going towards my house. So I'm yelling that there's kids and there's kids and there's kids.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FEYERICK: Now Michigan State Police are investigating. They've taken over, they will not comment. Neither will city police. As for that tape, well, the family lawyer says it will eventually become public -- Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Deborah Feyerick, what a story. Thanks very much. Deb's in Detroit.

Jack Cafferty is standing by with your e-mail.

Plus, a monster hailstorm all caught on tape. Jeanne Moos getting ready to take a "Moos Unusual Look."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're getting the first results in from Kentucky. Take a look at this. Trey Grayson, who is the -- one of the Republican candidates. He's just behind Rand Paul, 49 percent for Rand Paul, Trey Grayson, 43 percent. Only 1 percent of the precincts are in.

We're going to continue to watch this race. We'll watch the races in Arkansas and Pennsylvania as well.

Let's go to Jack Cafferty right now. He's got "The Cafferty File." Jack.

CAFFERTY: Question this hour is: What does it say when many women are better educated and make more money than their husbands? And the numbers are growing now rather dramatically.

David in Virginia writes: "Your dinosaur bones are showing, Jack. At what point do traditional roles of barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen give way to the traditional roles of equal partners and competitors? I don't think half the people under 25 in the country would even understand the relevance of your question when it's compared to their experience and their expectations."

Donna in Wisconsin: "I'm not sure I understand the question, Jack. You've never asked what does it say when many husbands are better educated and make more money than their wives. Women have always been smarter. We're able to multi-task much better than men." And humble, too. "But men have always been afraid of us being their equal. I think it's a religious thing. God created man and then woman. He left the best for last."

Michael writes: "Twenty-two percent of women earn more than their husbands than 78 percent of husbands earn more. This tells us we're slowly approaching gender equality in the workplace but still have a long way to go."

B writes: "I have a higher degree than my husband, so do most of my married female friends. Traditional gender roles are slowly becoming less and less important. It's a new day where women are finally being looked upon as equals. And much of that has to do with the lengths we have traveled to promote education." Taylor says: "I think as long as the bills get paid and both are happy, nothing else really matters." And Tracy in Florida writes, "Duh? It's what we've been telling the world all along. Women are smarter than men. That's why you should just listen to us and do what we say."

If you want to read more about this, there's something wrong with you.

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: Go to my blog at CNN.com/caffertyfile. That's all I have.

BLITZER: I think I'm going to go read some more.

CAFFERTY: Why not?

BLITZER: Thanks, Jack. See you tomorrow.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

BLITZER: Some say golf ball, others say baseball, one person even said bowling balls. So how big was this hail? CNN's Jeanne Moos takes a "Moos Unusual Look."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With some of the biggest hail we've ever seen, CNN's Jeanne Moos takes a "Moos Unusual Look."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They look like ping-pong balls. It resembled a driving range. It went from bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god.

MOOS: To worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god! Whooo!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness!

MOOS: And for the totally clueless --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is that? It's hail!

MOOS: It hit the Oklahoma City area for less than half an hour, but it left a deep impression.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the house. Our kitchen window is broken. It's in my room.

MOOS (on camera): We always hear that old cliche about hail the size of golf balls. Well, this hailstorm made that cliche seem like an understatement. It left one person running for his life.

(Voice-over): Tim Hartmore got caught in the storm as he was out running. Look what the hail did to his back.

TIM HARTMORE, HIT BY HAIL: It was just ridiculous. I was pretty much just running for my life.

MOOS: He managed to flag down a passing vehicle and get in it. But being in a car was no picnic either.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED). My car is going to be toast.

MOOS: Many were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ungodly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Insurance companies hate Oklahoma.

MOOS: Most of these are home videos. Titles like "Hail of a Storm, "Hailstorm from Hell," "Holy Hailstorm."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome.

MOOS: This woman ventured out to scoop up some hail with a can on her head. She came back with hail the size of eggs. Size seemed to matter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pit is holding some balls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it baseball or golf ball?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like baseball-sized hail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More like a softball or a bowling ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean some big ass hail.

MOOS: Big enough to shred trees. Big enough to shred sidings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the siding over there.

MOOS: Packing a punch so loud -- it paid to put your hands over your ears at this glass-ceiling mall.

(On camera): It's possible a world record has been broken for the number of times someone says "oh my god" in a minute-20 home video.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. It's hitting the windows. Help. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. The windows are breaking. Oh, my god. Kitchen windows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quick. Calm down, mommy.

MOOS (voice-over): We counted mommy saying it 15 times. All hail to the storm.

Jeanne Moos, CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: What a story. Thanks very much. I'm going to be here throughout the night. We'll be reporting the results as they come in. Key primary races. A lot going on. Stay with CNN for complete coverage.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Up next, "JOHN KING, USA."